South LA-native and hip-hop artist, DUCKWRTH, is quickly developing a name for himself. Jared Lee, better known by his stage name, DUCKWRTH, originally introduced himself to the music realm in the form of a collaborative project entitled, Nowhere, with a band by the name of The Kickdrums in 2015. The following year, DUCKWRTH released his first-ever independent solo album entitled, I’m Uugly. In 2017, the Los Angeles-based artist dropped another full-length musical offering entitled, An XTRA UUGLY Mixtape, which has now provided him with a cult-like following. Now, the “Fall Back” rapper has provided us with visuals for his newest single, “Soprano”, that can be seen in the video above.
“Soprano”: Sonically & Visually
Sonically, “Soprano” takes on a minimalist approach in regards to instrumentation. The opening sequence of the song begins with solo piano chords while Lee harmonizes over the slow-tempo percussion. Following the melodic, eight-bar intro, the track switches into a heavy bass-led beat surrounded by cowbell chimes and forward-leading hi-hat pattern. With minimal clutter on the beat, DUCKWRTH was able to flow freely on the instrumental, choosing which pockets to ride throughout both of his verses. The harmonies laid down closing out the track are well-layered and mixed as well as WRTH’s ad-libs throughout the song.
Visually, “Soprano” is a mashup of chaos and pure aesthetics. The choir and imagery of the child in the church isles provide the visuals with a sense of innocence, while DUCKWRTH’s green screen performance in the Mazda Miata provided the video with just enough debauchery. His transformation into the face-tatted, dyed loc rapper aesthetic of today was a shot at his competition. Overall, the visual performance of this record was well-executed.
The Context of DUCKWRTH’s “Soprano”
Contextually, DUCKWRTH’s “Soprano” is up for interpretation. “Soprano” can be seen as a dig at casual music listeners who are unknowingly programming themselves to intake harmful messages through their music choices, perhaps pointedly so at society’s strange obsession with tangible things, attention and fame. Or the song could simply be a miniature party anthem for the masses to enjoy.
Obviously, this particular hip-hop newcomer is extremely musically-inclined and has a superior musical ability outside of just rapping. Now, DUCKWRTH just has to deliver consistent content and define his message for the culture to be aware of. It also wouldn’t hurt WRTH to utilize Carlos ‘Haha’ Davis more in order to promote his movement. With that said, check out “Soprano” for yourself and let us know your thoughts on the track in the comments.